Field of the Invention
The invention is in the field of heavy duty axle housings useful for large and heavy trucks in which a banjo housing is provided at or adjacent the center of the axle housing to accommodate the differential drive gears and laterally extending tubular members are formed in a rectangular cross-section to withstand torsional and vertical loading strains and stresses and to resist metal fatigue caused by pounding of the vehicle over rutted and potholed roads. The invention also lies in the field of manufacturing methods for axle housings using novel sheet steel material of uniform thickness.